Fantastic Food Friday: Baking Day

This started out with me making waffles for breakfast. Because it's easy to cook other things while waiting for the waffles to cook, I turned it into a baking day.

Waffles

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups milk
1/2 cup cooking oil
2 egg whites

In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl beat egg yolks, milk, and oil. Add egg yolk mixture to flour mixture all at once, stirring just till combined but still slightly lumpy. In a small bowl beat egg whites till stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold beaten egg whites into main mixture, leaving a few fluffs of egg white. Do not over mix.

Ladle into waffle iron and bake according to manufacturer's directions.

I tripled the mix so we'd have extras for breakfast -- homemade toaster waffles! Because I'm trying to cook healthier foods, I substituted applesauce for half the oil.

Banana Bread

1 3/4 cups flour
2/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed ripe banana (approximately 2 bananas)
1/3 cup oil
2 tablespoons milk
2 eggs
1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Combine all the dry ingredients in large bowl. Add mashed banana, oil, and milk. Beat till blended. Add eggs and beat till blended. Stir in nuts. Pour batter into a greased loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 55-60 minutes or till a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Again, I substituted applesauce for half the oil.

Both recipes come from the Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book.

I also made up a batch of Fruit & Veggie Muffins and Chocolate Chip Cookies. With all the rain we've had this week, yeah it felt like home, all this baking was comfort warmth!